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In 1932, Frederic Bartlett was working at Cambridge University
when he conducted one of the most famous cognitive psychology
experiments of all-time.

For this research study, Bartlett recited a Native American folk
tale called “The War of the Ghosts” to each participant. Then,
Bartlett followed up with each person several times over the
following year and asked them to tell the story back to him.

As you might expect, the story shortened over time as
participants forgot certain details.

What wasn’t expected, however, was that each person adapted the
story to fit their expectations of a “normal” world. You see,
each participant was British and this Native American story had a
few cultural details that would have seemed out-of-place in
British society.

Each subject adjusted the story so that it would make more sense
in the British view of the world. Confusing details were slowly
altered each time the story was retold. Participants began to
emphasize the more rational parts of the folk tale. The order of
events were shifted around to make more sense.

Bartlett’s research was the first major study that proved how our
beliefs about the world can actively change the way we remember
and interpret information.

But why did the subjects change the story? And how can this help
you master your mental habits and achieve your goals?

Here’s the deal…

In psychology terms, Bartlett’s subjects were displaying what is
known as a “schema.” A schema is a set of preconceived ideas that
your brain uses to perceive and interpret new information.

We form schemas based on our experiences in life. Once they are
formed, however, schemas have a tendency to remain unchanged —
even in the face of contradictory information.

In other words, your brain creates an “auto-pilot” version of how
it thinks the world should work, and sometimes you keep using it
even when it’s no longer true or helpful. This is why Bartlett’s
subjects changed the details of the story. The original version
didn’t fit the way they thought the world should work, so they
adjusted it until it seemed more reasonable.

This is important because schemas not only impact the memories
you have about the outside world, but also the things you believe
about yourself.

For example…

If a mother tells her daughter she looks like a tom boy, her
daughter may react by choosing activities that she imagines a tom
boy would do. Conversely, if the mother tells her she looks like
a princess, her daughter might choose activities thought to be
more feminine… the individual chooses activities based on expectations
instead of desires.

Imagine that little girl after she has grown up. It’s easy to see
how the schemas and beliefs that were formed early on could
continue to impact her actions years later.

The idea to write this article was sparked by a reader named Kim
who emailed me and said, “Sometimes we carry old beliefs around,
unknowingly, that don’t serve us anymore.”

Schemas can be like this sometimes. You have old beliefs and
experiences that tend to push you in a certain direction or color
your thoughts in a certain way … but they aren’t necessarily
serving you anymore.

It’s good to take a step back and think about your beliefs about
life. Ask yourself, “Is this true? Or am I just limiting myself
with these beliefs?”

For example…

Getting healthy — is eating junk food really a
way to “treat yourself” and “enjoy the good stuff in life” … or
are you telling yourself a story that isn’t really true?

Building a business — do you really need to
wait until X happens before you start that side business or
startup? Or are you just telling yourself a story that allows
you to maintain what you’re currently doing instead of chasing
what you’re capable of doing?

Traveling the world — is it true that “only
single people without kids” can travel far and wide? Or is that
just an expectation left over from what you have typically
seen?

What old beliefs are you still carrying that aren’t serving you
anymore?

Sometimes you have to unlearn the things that you believe to be
true. You don’t have to see the world the same way you’ve always
seen it. Just because it was true in the past, doesn’t mean it’s
true today. And just because you learned something one way
doesn’t mean you learned it the best way.

Don’t let yesterday’s beliefs dictate the story that you live out
today.